First Strike
by UnOriginalOne
Summary: We will retaliate with the full force of the United States Military.


Title: First Strike (Title subject to change)

Author: Chickiee-Dee (aka Alyce)

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: I don't own Commander in Chief

Summary: "We will retaliate with the full force of the United States Military."

Authors Notes: First off I'm stooging an episode title from the series, 'cause it's all I could think of that didn't sound lame ass. This again was going to be a one-parter, but I think to fully give the sick twisted (too many nuclear war lectures in Politics) idea, it needed more than one part. Let me know if you want me to continue. Also any effects that may be mentioned (as a result of nuclear weapons) are true. I had a few weeks of lectures on Nuclear weapons and strategies in Politics last semester, and such effects will be based directly on any theory that I received in that class. Enjoy! And if you have any questions feel free to email me.

Also, first scene (in italics, from No Nukes is Good Nukes), is taken from the transcript for that episode done by RedStateCICfan.

First Strike Chapter One 

"I can assure you. Our Nation has both the military power and the political will to defeat the United States in any war of aggression."  
"We have no intention of attacking your Country."

" _You already have attacked our Country. Your planes have invaded our air space. Your nuclear Submarine is in our waters."_

" _With due respect, Mr. Nang, if the United States attacked North Korea, you'd know it. You're here because we want to do what we can to prevent that from happening."_

"_You can prevent it very simply. Stand down your military, withdraw from our boarders and return to the status quo. South Korea is already an occupied US outpost, we won't become another." _

"_I want to send a message to your leadership. And I hear they trust your integrity."_

"_I'm honoured to believe so."_

" _Good. This is the message from the United States of America. We are going in to save the crew of the USS Seattle. Our rescue operation will take us slightly within your 12 mile Maritime limit. Our rescue vessels will be unarmed. We have no intention of attacking your Nation. But we will consider any aggression against our rescue as an act of war."_

" _Your incursion into sovereign waters will, I assure you, be considered and act of war by our Nation."_

"_You shot down an American military plane. I'm under a lot of pressure to respond. You respect our rescue mission, I'll let it go. I will also guarantee your UN Food Aid continues and I will arrange for a payment, in cash, of $500 million dollars to your Country. We'll call it humanitarian aid, but there will be no strings attached." _

" _You're offering us 500 million dollars in cash?"_

" _This is not a negotiation, and we don't have time to be coy, but I believe neither of us wants a war."_

"_Well, our leadership will be getting it's own pressure to respond. To fire on your so called rescue mission."_

"_Tell your leadership, they don't want to put me in that position." _

"_And if they do?"_

" _We will retaliate with the full force of the United States military."_

"Ten-hut." Everyone stood to attention as President Allen entered the Sit room, her fatigue making her a little oblivious to the defeated looks that many were wearing. "Tell me," Mac said, finding her way up to the front of the room, dodging the mass of cables that covered the floors surface. General Krieger stood up, opting to deliver the President the grim news. A picture flashed on the screen, "The USS Brighton, 5 minutes ago it took fire from North Korean battleships."

"Can we salvage it?"

"Attempting to Ma'am, but the damage is severe."

"Any casualties?"

"238 dead, countless more injured, we're trying to get them to Port in South Korea, but I don't think they'll make it." Mac squeezed her eyes shut, trying to process what had happened, clearly the North Korean's wanted to test her, and this was just what she didn't need. "How should we respond Madame President?" She thought for a moment, "Get our Fighters in the air, and prepare our troops for war." Standing quickly, Mac left the room making a beeline for the Oval, "Vince call Senior Staff," she ordered on her way past, Vince barely having time to acknowledge his boss before the door to the Oval was slammed shut.

Only minutes later Jim, Kelly and Rod gathered in the Oval, along with other senior members of the Administration. Mac was sitting behind her desk; barely awake, a dazed look on her face, as she shuffled through a mound of paperwork that sat before her. Looking her Staff in the eye she stated simply, "It's war." The room was deathly silent and Mac dared to show her vulnerability, her head finding it's way into her hands as she ran her fingers through her hair, and began to massage her head, no doubt trying to relieve the headache that Rod knew she would be suffering from. "If you don't mind Ma'am, an explanation would be good," Kelly asked, unaware of the threat made earlier. "The North Korean's attacked the rescue ship, 238 dead so far, we don't know if the ship can be salvaged."

"But how does that make it War?" Kelly asked again, trying to clarify what exactly was going on, and how she could best explain it to the press. "The President asked them to respect the Rescue, clearly, they've ignored the fact that we were prepared to attack them if need be," Jim supplied, having been in the earlier meeting, and heard the President's words _'Retaliate with the full force of the United States Military.'_ Rod, noticing his wife's obvious distress, dismissed everyone politely and beckoned Mac over to the sofa, allowing her exhausted form to collide with his as she let her frustrations out, the tears pooling onto his suit jacket as he rubbed her back lightly. After a few minutes she had composed herself somewhat, and shifted her head so her eyes met his, "Thank you, I needed that."

"I could tell, the look in your eyes, and I know that more than anything you didn't want things to come to this," Rod explained, brushing a few stray strands of hair away from her face, and kissing her forehead lightly.

Twenty minutes later Mac was back in the Sit room, addressing those who had gathered there, on the course of action she wished to take. Before she had a chance to open her mouth to speak, Krieger interrupted her, "Ma'am, the crew are currently being evacuated from the USS Brighton, the Seattle's remaining crew included amongst them."

"Thank you General, what's being done about eliminating their ships?"

"An operation has been drawn up, and the units involved are being briefed, they should be in the air in ten minutes." Mac nodded,

"Good, keep me up to date on their progress. What about the troops, are they prepared for invasion?"

"Yes Ma'am, all troops in the region are waiting for the go-ahead and reserves are preparing to be deployed."

"Give the order. Keep me updated on the progress." Mac stood up and exited the room, leaving everyone there to get on with their own work, as she prepared to deliver the grim news to the public.

Cameras flashed as Mackenzie Allen made her way into the Briefing Room, and the assembled Press Corp waited for her to speak. Rod, Jim and Kelly stood to one side as Mac took centre stage behind the podium. Collective breath was held as she tried to figure out exactly _how_ she was going to publicly announce the situation. With members of her staff, she was able to be a little more open about the situation, but she feared the Public would not support her decision for them to go to war. "Earlier today the USS Brighton took fire from North Korean battleships and I regret to inform you that over 200 lives have been lost. Given the circumstances, and the aggressive action taken by the North Korean's against our military, I've been left with no choice but to retaliate and as I speak, our military is preparing to invade North Korea.

"We face an uphill battle, but I believe that in conjunction with forces from across the globe we will meet this challenge head-on and that the United States will come through this victorious." She paused, finishing her spiel, and she waited for the unavoidable shouts from the reporters who sat there stunned, by the enormity of what they had just heard. Thirty seconds of silence later and Mac had had enough, turning away from the Press and exiting the room quietly.

Later that afternoon, as the first wave of US troops entered North Korea, Mac was resting up in the Residence, after Jim and Rod together ordered her to spend at least a couple of hours in bed, both sensing that with the invasion imminent, they weren't going to get much sleep over the coming weeks. Kelly too, had crashed between briefings, managing to catch an hours sleep before she was again summoned to the Press Room, in an attempt to separate fact from fiction in relation to the invasion, and subsequent attacks that were to take place over the coming days. It was a world unfamiliar to them, talk of Military tactics taking precedent over the usual banter regarding the economy, something everyone knew over the coming days would be pushed to the backburner as the public adjusted to the idea of war, and staff within the Allen Administration would be forced to take a more defensive stand against the ridicule and bad press President Allen was likely to receive.


End file.
